Café Den Turk

Photos and words by Cliff Lucas.
Edited by Breandán Kearney.

Café Society is a photographic series which celebrates the spaces at the heart of Belgian beer culture. See more here.

The outside of Café Den Turk, one of the oldest cafés in Ghent, is like a portrait of the city from another time. The limestone sandstone of the façade was widely used here in the 15th and 16th centuries for the construction of prestigious buildings. Inside, framed portraits of local artists, musicians, architects, and city councillors take turns being displayed on the mustard and tuscan red walls of a café that first opened its doors in the fifteenth century. Walter De Buck, the father of Gentse Feesten, a music and theatre festival that brings 1.5 million visitors to the city each year, is displayed near the café’s entrance with views onto the cobbled city streets. Actor Jo De Meyere’s portrait hangs in the dining area where Den Turk’s 98-slot spaarkas is mounted to the wall. Regulars drop coins in their respective numbered slot to save for a rainy day or future drink. Celebrated Flemish blues musician, Roland Van Campenhout, has his portrait hanging near the café’s piano. Notably, one of his earliest performances was at “Trefpunt,” a café owned by Walter De Buck. A portrait of Romain Deconinck, a celebrated Belgian actor and playwright for whom Belgium issued an honorary postage stamp in 2007, is displayed not far from the cash register. Past the bar area, red and white tablecloths break up the monotony of wooden tables and chairs. Regulars with an appetite often enjoy uufflakke (a traditional Belgian dish of cheese and jellied meat boiled down and set in gelatin) and have a large assortment of Trappist ales and Abbey beers to choose from. However, Jupiler is the beer of choice for many locals—priced just slightly higher than the €0,46 it once cost for a Romain Deconinck stamp.